Housing FIRST Act

The Housing FIRST Act amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to specifically regulate consumer reports used for tenant screening purposes. It defines "tenant screening purposes" as evaluating a consumer for rental housing or retention as a renter, integrating this definition throughout the FCRA. This aims to ensure that information used in housing decisions is relevant and fair, particularly for individuals with past justice system involvement.

A core provision of the bill prohibits consumer reporting agencies from including specific types of information in tenant screening reports. This includes records for arrests, juvenile adjudications or convictions, non-criminal citations, and criminal cases resolved through diversion programs. Furthermore, it bars convictions for which the sentence has been completed or the consumer is on probation or parole, as well as expunged, sealed, or pardoned records. These exclusions are designed to remove significant barriers to housing for individuals seeking stable tenancy.

The bill also establishes new duties for users of consumer reports for housing purposes. If a housing provider takes an adverse action, such as denying rental housing, based on a consumer report, they must provide the consumer with notice within three days. This notice must include the specific reasons for the adverse action, detailing the information from the consumer report that led to the decision. Additionally, the bill clarifies that states cannot regulate time limits for information excluded from consumer reports under these new provisions.